. on the broadcast this night from aft tonight a key republican wants to see for fighting in the belly. >> new clues that could lead to new treatment. and gone too soon, just a week after that exciting new arrival, what zookeepers are saying tonight about a sad turn arrival, what zookeepers are saying tonight about a sad turn of events at the national zoo. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

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frp from sofrom some of thoo have paid their own tremendous price. richap richar richaricharim helmar helmand province. >> reportep >> reporte>> r marinpmarines frormarinesm afghanistan. everythieverything marinpmarines frormarinesm afghanistan. everythieverythin looked much s for years. >> righp >> right n>> rig attack key positions. >> reporter:p>> reporter: wa>> troops pack down we thought for the first time in more than a decade coming this conflict, afghan troops truly participating. >> last time we operate independently, just with the marines, this time we're going to partner ops with them. >> it'sthe marines think there

may be bombing hidden under the dirt floor. on many missions now, u.s. troops are in a supporting role. these become critical. these marines are setting up a check point by other forces are fighting the taliban 11 miles away. it's taken a long time to get to this point, but it does seem finally that the afghans are taking the lead in this word. that means americans can leave on time with the afghan army in place. this local policeman was stoned on hash for most of the patrol. and 90% of afghan police cannot be trusted. in the rush to train afghan troops so americans can leave on time, the taliban infiltrated

their ranks and are turning their guns on the americans. so now when marines teach their afghan partners basic first aid, there's an armed marine by the door. the troops call them guard yang angels. >> it's a deterrent to anyone who might be thinking of committing any sort of attack on us. >> reporter: the other bad news for u.s. troops, there's still about two more years to go and they know the american public is not talking much about them anymore. >> it's a shame that the american people don't recognize the hard work we're putting in here. >> two years of living on military rations. >> southwest beef and beans. >> reporter: southwest beef and? >> beans. >> reporter: how is it? >> it's the best one. >> reporter: like mom would cook you? >> yeah. >> reporter: at least they know the war is winding downtecting

the afghan forces. back home just 44 days until americans go to the polls and it's going to be a crucial week of campaigning in the race for president. nationally polls show the race remains tied. but in several key swing states, mitt romney has started to fall behind and tonight some supporters are wanting him to fight harder. >> reporter: looking to bounce back from a rough couple of weeks, the romney campaign is defiantly optimistic. >> getting america back to work again, helping our people have the dignity of not just a job, but a good job with good pay. i will fight like the dickens to do that for every american.

>> reporter: romney was asked if his campaign needed repair. >> we are tied with the incumbent president of the united states. >> reporter: romney will jump-start the pace of his campaign this week. after his stop in colorado, romney and his running mate paul ryan launch a three-day bus tour tomorrow. in the battle ground of ohio, the president holds a five-point advantage. >> you guys sound like you're fired up already. >> obama is still trying to capitalize on romney's comments from an unwanted video. many republicans believe romney needs to sharpen his tone. >> i want to see fire in the belly. >> reporter: democrats are already trying to fire up their base, challenging romney on his

tax planning. >> he hasn't been straight. >> reporter: with several states allowing early votings, michelle obama called the right to vote the nation's most important civil rights issue. >> this is the sit in of our day, sitting in a phone bank, sitting in your living room calling your friends, neighbors, that nephew you haven't seen in a while. >> reporter: publicly both campaigns have been trying to lower expectations, even complimenting their opponents debating skills. the first debate is right here in denver. >> chuck todd joining us tonight from new york. chuck, is it clear what mitt romney needs to do to jump-start his campaign.

>> i think what the romney campaign believes he has to do is that peter described what he has done this morning and that is preparing for the debate. he's spent by my calculations spent almost as much time doing mock debates as he has visiting battleground states. the romney campaign has decided this first debate is everything to get the campaign on track. we're attack away from that. president obama, he's been doing mock debates, his third on friday. he spent a couple of days here in new york at the u.n. national assembly. he's not going to have a single meeting with any foreign dignitary, why? because he wants to get back on the campaign trail and not create news or any new controversy.

after the deadly attack on americans at the consulate in benghazi, the militia is not under the president's control. here's our report tonight. >> reporter: taking advantage of growing outrage many libyans hold responsible for the attack, the president's president issued an ultimatum giving militias 48 hours to put down their weapons and disband. this just days after protesters stormed the consulate in benghazi. while u.s. officials have praised the attack on ben began gas si. in an interview with the "new

york times," egypt's president defended his government's slow response to the attack, telling the paper, quote, we can never condone this kind of violence, but we need to deal with the situation wisely. responding to president obama's recent remarks that he didn't consider them an ally. in a message he's likely to echo this week, he said it's up to the united states to repair relations with the arab world. now to nbc's education nation, our ongoing in depth looking at the challenge of americas schools and the possible solutions. the education summit began today.

that's where rehema ellis is tonight. >> reporter: according to government figures more than 3 million young people dropped out of high school in 2010. that's why there's a lot of discussion here this year on how to change that. american education is facing a crisis. among 35 countries, students in the u.s. ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math. disturbing numbers, setting the stage for nbc's third annual education nation. >> welcome to new york city. >> reporter: this career's summit at the new york public library. the historic midtown building was transformed into a stage where nearly 300 teachers sounded off about the falt of america's schools. brian william moderated this afternoon's speaker town hall and throughout the day, critical issues were discussed with

educators of today and tomorrow. such as teacher evaluations. >> as the time changes so must evaluations and the curriculum. >> what our children most need is their belief in their ability to succeed. >> reporter: the new common core curriculum and more. >> do you expect tenure over the course of your entire career? >> i don't feel as if it's something that i'm looking for. when i teach negative numbers and it doesn't work out, i want someone to tell me what to do on basics. i want someone to help me out. that's what i want. >> reporter: there were the day to day challenges teacher face. >> in my public school, the union told me not to work past a certain time. i didn't care, i disobeyed. >> we stay as long as the doors are open. >> reporter: and for the first

time, a student town hall, not surprisingly, technology was front and center. >> in a time we are, with so much new technology, the way it's being integrated into schools. >> reporter: and among students, the cost of education was a major concern. >> we shouldn't be encouraging people to go into debt. >> reporter: teacher s and students will spend the next few days talking about programs that will turn around america's public schools. president obama and mitt romney will be addressing the summit. it's all part of our continuing education nation coverage, on air and on line. still ahead, from kabul, how a growing problem here is hitting home for families back home. and later what could be a new road map for treating breast

cancer. we'll be right back. maybe new buildings? what about updated equipment? they can help, but recent research shows... ...nothing transforms schools like investing in advanced teacher education. let's build a strong foundation. let's invest in our teachers so they can inspire our students. let's solve this. constipated? yeah. mm. some laxatives like dulcolax can cause cramps. but phillips' caplets don't. they have magnesium. for effective relief of occasional constipation. thanks. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. nah. [ dennis' voice ] i bet he's got an allstate agent. they can save you up to 30% more by bundling your policies. well his dog's stupid. [ dennis' voice ] poodles are one of the world's smartest breeds. are you in good hands?

with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbaa.lt

dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. the growing instances of afghan troops and police turning their guns on their american partners has not only threatened to undermine the american mission here, it is also only added more worry and pain back home for those who now see their loved ones threatened from inside and out. before leaving the states, i spent time with one family left both anguished and angry by the manner in which their son died. when their son shipped out to war, like many parents, deep down, the buckleys feared it could end with a knock at the door and those excruciating words no one forgets. >> i'm sorry to inform you that

your son, lance corporal buckley passed away. yesterday in afghanistan. >> lance corporal greg buckley jr. was killed just days before he was supposed to come home. the 21-year-old and two fellow marines were shot to death while working out in a gym. the military calls them green on blue, or insider attacks. mr. buckley has his own word. >> it was an execution. >> since the start of the year, at least 51 american and allied troops have been killed in insider attacks, at first written off mostly because of personal grudges, in recent weeks, the military has come to realize a dangerous pattern and has hit the pause button on many

afghan-u.s. operations. who are you angry at? >> the government, they dropped the ball. >> that's because greg buckley says they should have done more to protect his son from afghan training partners who were becoming increasinge e. >> dear, mom, dad. >> his mother still clings to the words of one of greg's last letters homes. >> you know i love you more than any person. >> a letter which eerily sounds like a good bbygoodbye. >> you'll always be my mother and the queen of everything. i don't know how to go on with my life without him. >> the buckleys wall is still covered by tributes left by neighbors and strangers. and at a recent high school

football game, the city became one of the many american cities to honor their fallen. >> my son is asking me to speak out. he doesn't want to see anymore kids die the way he died. >> reporter: his dad admits he was against his son joining the marines but is immensely proud of him. but he wasn't sure that greg fully understood the cost of war. but this was a price that no one was prepared to paid. >> anything that happened on that battlefield, i could accept it. i would be heart broken. >> since the start of the year, more than 50 afghans have been

killed by fellow afghan security force members. we'll be right back with more of the day's news. and every day since, we've worked hard to keep it. bp has paid over twenty-three billion dollars to help people and businesses who were affected, and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open for everyone to enjoy -- i want you to know, there's another commitment bp takes just as seriously: our commitment to america. bp supports nearly two-hundred-fifty thousand jobs in communities across the country. we hired three thousand people just last year. bp invests more in america than in any other country. in fact, over the last five years, no other energy company has invested more in the us than bp. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. today, our commitment to the gulf, and to america,

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we're back from kabul with important health news back home. findings from a large and important breast cancer study showed the disease can be classified into four main groups, changing not only the way breast cancer is understood but also treated. chief science coordinator robert bazell joins us with more. >> reporter: the study could open a vast new array of possible treatments for breast cancer. as part of a government program, it is revealing the genetics of all major types of cancer. scientists identified the dna of cancer. breast cancer is not one disease, it occurs in four basic forms. this study revealed more

potential treatments for each type. the research opens the possibility of trying different drugs, including some already on the market to treat other forms of cancer. and the new genetic information will give drug companies clues for developing new drugs. everything will have to be tested in years of clinical trials. but the new information gives a wealth of information to the disease that kills 35,000 woma r in this country. a surprising and sad turn of events to report. a giant panda cub born just a week ago has died. when they heard a distress call from the mother, they realized they had an emergency on their hands, and even tried cpr on the panda, but it was too late. >> the veterinarians, the volunteers, watching this birth

with great joy but with great passion and the loss is -- there's no other word for it, it's just devastating for us at this time. >> officials say they don't know what happened, but they hope to have some preliminary results as early as tomorrow. when we come back, a final word about our time here in kabul. a million reasons why. but your erectile dysfunction that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours.

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this is the start of a week long assignment for me in afghanistan as this war is about to enter it's 12th year, we'll be closely examining what's being established, what can be sustained and what price in american lives. and tomorrow on "today" i'll sit down with the man in charge of the war effort, general john allen. but first we want to share with you something we shot here tonight, to remind you this is nis -- this is a pair of teenaged sisters, trying their hand at

bowling, even trying some pizza between frames. we have to note that to enter that bowling ally, we had to go through steel and sandbag re-enforced doors and be frisked by guards with automatic weapons. not all change here has come quickly. that's nbc nightly news for this country. coming up next, sunday night football, the ravens versus the patriots. for all of us at nbc news, good patriots. for all of us at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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